Keeping the weekly post warm until @alyaza comes back 🙂
What’s everyone been up to? Any plans for the weekend?
This week is being a bit of a roller coaster. I got a CPAP machine yesterday after having been on a waiting list to get one for years. I was so happy to get it! But last night was by far the worst sleep I’ve had in ages- the machine feels like it’s suffocating me, and I apparently pushed it off my face at some point during the night, but the ridiculous app that came with the machine does not tell you what time you removed the mask or for how long, and apparently if you wake up and take a long time to fall asleep again, the app will totally ignore the initial period of sleep.
So today I’m exhausted and irritable, and woke up to excited messages from friends who were expecting the CPAP to change my life from the very first night, which was difficult to cope with, though of course I know they meant well. I hope things will get better.
It can be really tough adjusting to the CPAP. And even if you’d slept with it properly, there’s no guarantee you’d feel great in the morning. Many people take weeks or months to see significant results as they make for lost sleep. That was the case for me. I still struggle with it but I’m doing better now.
I’m not sure what you mean by the machine suffocating you, but it could be a couple of things. One, if you don’t have ramp on, it’ll turn on full blast first thing which can be…jarring. It’s possible that your mask isn’t fitted correctly or that it just isn’t a good match for you. That’s ok! That’s why we have people to help us fit them and many masks to choose from.
I’m not sure what machine you have, but if you can put an SD card in it, you might be able to get more detailed data from that.
Thanks for the kind words. When I say I feel like I’m suffocating, I mean that I feel like I can’t exhale properly, which to me feels like suffocating. But it’s only my first night with the machine and I don’t intend to give up. Ramp is turned on, and the device says I have the nasal pillows placed properly. The device has an SD card and I plan to install OSCAR to get better data, but because of the way the system works where I live, it’s better for me not to take out the SD card every single day if I can avoid it (I don’t own the machine, it belongs to the health service).
Try experimenting with turning off the ramp. I always felt like I was struggling to breathe until I turned off the ramp on mine, it was so much easier to breathe with it turned off.
I think that may be a good idea, because I noticed that when I get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, then come back and reattach the hose, the higher pressure is actually more comfortable.
Last night I slept a little better and didn’t push the nasal pillow off in my sleep, so there’s some progress.
It definitely takes a bit to get used to that, especially on the exhale. I found that it became better over time, especially once I was able to stop focusing on the mask and my breathing. I don’t use the ramp up personally, as I find it more comfortable for me. Definitely keep at it, and you should be able to talk to your provider if you keep having issues. I had to go through a few settings/mask types to find the right one.
Well, that is just not fun. You’re nice because you know those friends of yours meant well.
That sucks. Is it something you can get used to do you think? Can imagine it’s a bit of a change
Yeah, it’s a big change. My adult son has been using CPAP for about two years and I’ve seen how much it helps him, so I am not giving up yet by any means. I’m just feeling whiny because I’m so tired of being exhausted and I guess I thought I’d see a huge benefit from day one.
Mask fit and machine settings can be tricky to get dialed in, and they make a big difference. There’s a pretty good YouTuber with a channel called CPAP Reviews that may be useful for you. Your doctor and DME provider should be a good resource, and in many cases they are…buy sadly this can be hit or miss.
Thanks for that. Sadly, I’m far more likely to get useful information from the Internet than I am from my medical team. I actually turned to YouTube to “fill in” details the technician didn’t bother to tell me- namely that “mask leak” with a nasal pillow can be caused by opening your mouth. I also was able to work out, thanks to videos, that the nasal pillow I was told to use was a terrible fit for me, which is why I felt like I was suffocating and unable to breathe the first night, but the correct size was thankfully in the box. It’s been much smoother sailing since I swapped to the correct size pillow.
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Exciting. I miss going to Linux User Group meetings and meeting other OSS enthusiasts and seeing all the cool projects they were working on. Sadly, all our LUGs died out and are no longer a thing in my country, and I suspect it’s the case in many parts of the world.
Shifting the pin for this week, thanks for posting this while alyaza is out 😄
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Good luck with the climb, hope you manage ok
Is it weird to reply to my own thread? Ah well.
This week has been suspiciously good so far. Getting things done, people have largely been nice, spent the weekend with my sister’s cat which was lovely. I’m just waiting for something bad to happen (super healthy I know).
No it’s totally normal. I like to put my own answer in a parent comment rather than in the post body. The People ™ will decide whether it should be at the top.
I’ma be real, it’s a mixed bag. A lot of things have gone drastically wrong, even one going so far as to make me unable to walk. Yet I’ve had like two things that shocked me and made life slightly more tolerable.
Mostly I just want a hug. Was my birthday a couple days ago and I realized it’d been 13 years since I’ve had a hug. Broke me a little.
Virtual hugs incoming!! I can’t ingraine how difficult that is for you :/
Lots of fires at work but otherwise deece, thanks for asking!
My sourdough is being lame but my fermented goods are amazing.
pretty good so far! have a couple hangouts scheduled with friends, some important paperwork to do that i’ve been slacking on, and a camping trip this weekend! also i’m pretty excited for all that. and i’ve been getting some time to work on my jacket project, which makes me very happy.
Oh cool what kind of jacket are you making? Hope the weather is kind to you this weekend!
thanks! it’s just a black denim jacket i thrifted and have been “upgrading” in a way haha. sewing pockets on the inside, making and putting on some handmade patches for bands i like, embroidering on it, that kind of thing :)
nothing on the back though quite yetThat looks great! Very punk
Taking as many naps as possible before going back to university.
I’ll have to go back soon and I have mixed feelings about it. I am excited, I’m just also doing my best not to let my worries get to me.
This weekend I gotta plan my goals for this year. I’m contemplating studying abroad, getting an internship, or both. I’ll also be hanging out with my siblings before I leave. And packing.
I’m going back part time in the evenings myself in September, I feel you! Though likely lots older, lol.
Is it normal to go back to uni that early where you are? In the UK students don’t go back until October time. I find the differences so interesting.
Usually it’s late August/early September for me. I’m going back early because I got into a program to help mentor the first years. Basically they get to start a week earlier to get accustomed to uni and I get to start a week before they do for my in-person training.
I arrived in Boise this weekend. I’m here for the month then moving on to my next stop. Looking forward to exploring a new city, getting in some cycling, and meeting some new people!
This needs to be pinned like the last one, by the way. I can’t keep track. Please pin it and unpin the previous one.
Not a mod so can’t from my end unfortunately
awww, you’re into it like I am. We are both into it mega style. Let’s get together and make the mods pin this. As a weekly thing, it is the thing to pin. Do you know how to convince the mods to pin this? I support it.
Going camping for a friend’s bday Thursday through Saturday in Malibu Creek State Park! Verrrrry excited as I’ve been wanting to go camping so bad, it’s been a few years since I’ve gone and it’s such a crucial reset for me. I think it has to do with growing up and camping a lot. Lots of memories to rekindle, lots of moments for reflection and processing. Anyways, hope you all have a great weekend!
Hope you have a great time!
I’m from the UK so forgive the ignorance, but I thought Malibu was mostly beach?
Not a huge fan of camping personally but I LOVE a campfire and looking up at the stars. So peaceful
OMG. I love Malibu. I guess it isn’t Malibu Creek, but whatever. I’d totally go camping in Malibu.
i’ve been exhausted, but i don’t have any downtime until saturday. (hooray, beach trip!) really looking forward to sitting on the beach for several hours under the shibumiTM getting some reading done.
Hope you get a chance to recharge
thank you! :)
Processing the fact that I’m living in my office now. Bought some stuff I needed and fixed some small things like a statue and a lamp and so on. I hope I’ll get back into first gear again sometime soon.
Work sucks but Pikmin 4 rules so it ain’t all bad.
Sorry to hear that things aren’t going well 😔 hello fellow Pikmin player! How does it compare to other games in the series?
Well I only played Pikmin 2 before this and it was when I was a teen. At the time I didn’t finish it because I got intimidated by the mid to late game difficulty.
The way Pikmin 4 introduced elements over time it felt like a new start. The first credit roll wasn’t too hard to reach and now I feel like I might end up committing myself to 100%ing the game.
Also Oatchi. Oatchi is everything. I think it will be hard to go back to playing without the dog because it is so convenient. You can carry your Piks over obstacles, he can be an initiator tank in a fight, and you can divide and conquer by sending him to another location to guard or dig up treasure while you and your Piks do the work elsewhere. Plus he comes back to you on his own. He’s a good boy.
Thanks for this, looking forward to it! Oatchi sounds like the goodest boy ever ☺
